Novel chip packaging structure for improving reliability

ABSTRACT

A novel chip packaging structure is disclosed. The chip packaging structure includes a flip chip having a chip backside, at least one concave stress-relieving structure provided in the chip backside, a carrier substrate bonded to the flip chip and an adhesive material interposed between the flip chip and the carrier substrate. During thermal testing and/or functioning of the flip chip, the stress-relieving structure reduces stresses between the flip chip and the carrier substrate and dissipates heat from the flip chip to reduce thermally-induced delamination stresses applied to the adhesive material and thereby enhances reliability of the flip chip.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to flip chip packaging of integratedcircuit (IC) semiconductor assemblies. More particularly, the presentinvention relates to a novel IC chip package structure which utilizesopenings, slots or a meshwork of channels to dissipate heat and enhancethermal transference efficiency between an IC (integrated circuit)device and a PCB (printed circuit board) substrate.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

One of the last processes in the production of semiconductor integratedcircuits (IC) is multi-leveled packaging, which includes expanding theelectrode pitch of the IC chips containing the circuits for subsequentlevels of packaging; protecting the chip from mechanical andenvironmental stress; providing proper thermal paths for channeling heatdissipated by the chip; and forming electronic interconnections. Themanner in which the IC chips are packaged dictates the overall cost,performance, and reliability of the packaged chips, as well as of thesystem in which the package is applied.

Package types for IC chips can be broadly classified into two groups:hermetic-ceramic packages and plastic packages. A chip packaged in ahermetic package is isolated from the ambient environment by avacuum-tight enclosure. The package is typically ceramic and is utilizedin high-performance applications. A chip packaged in a plastic package,on the other hand, is not completely isolated from the ambientenvironment because the package is composed of an epoxy-based resin.Consequently, ambient air is able to penetrate the package and adverselyaffect the chip over time. Recent advances in plastic packaging,however, have expanded their application and performance capability.Plastic packages are cost-effective due to the fact that the productionprocess is typically facilitated by automated batch-handling.

A recent development in the packaging of IC chips is the ball grid array(BGA) package, which may be utilized with either ceramic packages orplastic packages and involves different types of internal packagestructures. The BGA package uses multiple solder balls or bumps forelectrical and mechanical interconnection of IC chips to othermicroelectronic devices. The solder bumps serve to both secure the ICchip to a circuit board and electrically interconnect the chip circuitryto a conductor pattern formed on the circuit board. The BGA technique isincluded under a broader connection technology known as “ControlledCollapse Chip Connection-C4” or “flip-chip” technology.

Flip chip technology can be used in conjunction with a variety ofcircuit board types, including ceramic substrates, printed wiringboards, flexible circuits, and silicon substrates. The solder bumps aretypically located at the perimeter of the flip chip on electricallyconductive bond pads that are electrically interconnected with thecircuitry on the flip chip. Because of the numerous functions typicallyperformed by the microcircuitry of a flip chip, a relatively largenumber of solder bumps are often required. The size of a flip chip istypically on the order of about thirteen millimeters per side, resultingin crowding of the solder bumps along the perimeter of the flip chip.Consequently, flip chip conductor patterns are typically composed ofnumerous individual conductors that are often spaced apart about 0.1millimeter or less.

FIG. 1 illustrates a cross-section of a conventional BGA integratedcircuit (IC) package structure 10 having a die or flip chip 16 which isinverted and bonded to a carrier substrate 12, such as a printed circuitboard (PCB), for example. Multiple solder balls 14 are attached to thecarrier substrate 12 to facilitate electrical connection of the carriersubstrate 12 to higher-order electronic structures (not shown).Fabrication of the flip chip 16 is begun by forming multiple bondingpads 18 on the surface of a chip substrate 17, in electrical contactwith integrated circuits (not shown) previously fabricated on the chipsubstrate 17. A solder bump 20 is then bonded to each of the bondingpads 18. Each of the solder bumps 20 is typically spherical inconfiguration and extends through a passivation layer (not shown) formedon the surface of the chip substrate 17. A tin oxide layer (not shown)may coat the surface of each solder bump 20.

In assembly of the IC package structure 10, the flip chip 16 issubjected to a re-flow temperature of typically about 320° C. to re-flowthe lead solder bumps 20 on the chip substrate 17. The flip chip 16 isthen inverted and the solder bumps 20 are bonded with respective bondpads (not shown) on the carrier substrate 12. The re-flow heat partiallymelts the tin oxide layer (not shown) on the solder bumps 20 and bondsthe underlying lead solder bumps 20 to the carrier substrate 12.

In an underfill process, an adhesive material 22, such as an epoxy, forexample, is provided between the carrier substrate 12 and the chipsubstrate 17. The hardened adhesive material 22, which typically has ahigh Young's modulus, attaches the flip chip 16 to the carrier substrate12 and protects the solder bumps 20 from cracking in the finished ICpackage structure 10. The material characteristics of the adhesivematerial 22 are important for optimum adhesion of the flip chip 16 tothe carrier substrate 12 and thermal insulation.

After the flip chip 16 is attached to the carrier substrate 12 and theadhesive material 22 is injected between the flip chip 16 and thecarrier substrate 12, the IC package structure 10 is subjected to avariety of tests such as, for example, reliability tests in which the ICpackage structure 10 is heated to test the reliability of electricalinterconnections between the flip chip 16 and the carrier substrate 12.Furthermore, during functioning of the flip chip 16 in an electronicapparatus (not shown) of which the flip chip 16 is a part, heat isgenerated between the flip chip 16 and the carrier substrate 12. Thiscauses the flip chip 16 and the carrier substrate 12 to thermally expandwith respect to each other. Because they have different coefficients ofthermal expansion (CTE), however, the flip chip 16 and the carriersubstrate 12 expand at different rates. Consequently, the resultingstress placed upon the solder bumps 20 and adhesive material 22frequently causes interfacial delamination of the adhesive material 22.This results in lower reliability of the flip chip 16.

Accordingly, a novel chip packaging structure and method is needed forimproving chip reliability by relieving physical stresses andfacilitating dissipation of heat from a flip chip during flip chiptesting and functioning.

An object of the present invention is to provide a novel IC chip packagestructure for improving chip reliability.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel IC chippackage structure in which delamination stress caused by differentcoefficients of thermal expansion (CTE) between a flip chip and acarrier substrate is reduced.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a novel ICchip package structure in which multiple concave structures, such as aset of openings or channels or a channel matrix, for example, is/areprovided in the backside of an IC flip chip or die to enhancedissipation of heat from the flip chip and reduce stress between theflip chip and a carrier substrate to which the flip chip is bonded.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a novel methodfor reducing delamination stress between an IC flip chip and a carriersubstrate in an IC package structure.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with these and other objects and advantages, the presentinvention is generally directed to a novel IC chip package structurehaving an IC flip chip or die bonded to a carrier substrate. An adhesivematerial such as epoxy is sandwiched between the flip chip and thecarrier substrate. Multiple concave stress-relieving structures, such asa set of stress relief openings or slots or a channel matrix, forexample, are provided in the backside of the IC flip chip. Duringthermal testing and/or functioning of the flip chip, the concavestructures reduce stresses between the flip chip and the carriersubstrate and dissipate heat from the flip chip to reducethermally-induced delamination stresses applied to the adhesive materialand enhance reliability of the flip chip.

The present invention is further directed to a novel method for reducingthermally-induced delamination stresses between an IC flip chip and acarrier substrate in an IC package structure. The method includesproviding an IC flip chip, providing multiple concave structures in thebackside of the flip chip, bonding the flip chip to a carrier substrate,and providing an adhesive material between the flip chip and the carriersubstrate.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will now be described, by way of example, with referenceto the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a cross-section of a conventional IC package structure;

FIG. 2 is a cross-section of an IC package structure according to thepresent invention;

FIG. 3 is a top perspective view of an IC flip chip with a set ofmultiple openings in the backside surface thereof according to oneembodiment of the IC package structure of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a top perspective view of an IC flip chip with a set ofmultiple channels in the backside surface thereof according to anotherembodiment of the IC package structure of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a cross-section of the IC flip chip of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a top perspective view of an IC flip chip with a channelmatrix in the backside surface thereof according to still anotherembodiment of the IC package structure of the present invention; and

FIG. 7 is a top perspective view of an IC flip chip with a set ofasymmetrical channels in the backside surface thereof according to yetanother embodiment of the IC package structure of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention contemplates a novel IC chip package structure inwhich multiple solder bumps of an IC flip chip or die are bonded to acarrier substrate such as a printed circuit board (PCB). An adhesivematerial such as epoxy is sandwiched between the flip chip and thecarrier substrate. According to the invention, concave stress-relievingstructures are provided in the backside of the IC flip chip. In oneembodiment, the stress-relieving structures are stress relief openings.In another embodiment, the stress-relieving structures are stress reliefslots. In still another embodiment, the stress-relieving structures arestress-relief channels which are arranged in a symmetrical channelmatrix. In yet another embodiment, the stress-relieving structures arestress-relief channels which arranged in an asymmetrical channel matrix.During thermal testing and/or functioning of the flip chip, thestress-relieving structures reduce stresses between the flip chip andthe carrier substrate and dissipate heat from the flip chip to reducethermally-induced delamination stresses applied to the adhesive materialand thereby enhance reliability of the flip chip.

The present invention is further directed to a novel method for reducingthermally-induced delamination stresses between an IC flip chip and acarrier substrate in an IC package structure. The method includesproviding an IC flip chip, providing multiple concave stress-relievingstructures in the backside of the flip chip, bonding the flip chip to acarrier substrate, and providing an adhesive material between the flipchip and the carrier substrate.

Referring initially to FIG. 2 of the drawings, an IC package structureaccording to the present invention is generally indicated by referencenumeral 30. The IC package structure 30 includes a die or flip chip 32having a chip substrate 33 on which integrated circuits (not shown) havepreviously been sequentially fabricated throughout a semiconductorfabrication process. Multiple bonding pads 34 are provided on the flipchip 32 in electrically-conductive contact with the integrated circuits.Solder bumps 36 are formed on the respective bonding pads 34. The chipsubstrate 33 has a chip backside 35 which is opposite the side on whichthe bonding pads 34 and solder bumps 36 are provided. According to thepresent invention, concave stress-relieving structures, which will behereinafter described, are provided in the chip backside 35.

The solder bumps 36 are bonded to respective bond pads (not shown)provided on one surface of a carrier substrate 40, which may be aprinted circuit board (PCB), for example. Multiple solder balls 42 areprovided on the opposite surface of the carrier substrate 40 tofacilitate electrical attachment of the carrier substrate 40 tohigher-order electronic structures (not shown) in an electronicapparatus. The flip chip 32 and carrier substrate 40 typically havedifferent coefficients of thermal expansion (CTE).

During fabrication of the IC package structure 30, an adhesive material38, such as epoxy, for example, is injected between the flip chip 32 andthe carrier substrate 40 after the solder bumps 36 are bonded to thecarrier substrate 40. The adhesive material 38 promotes adhesion betweenthe flip chip 32 and the carrier substrate 40. An outer packagestructure 44, such as a laminated film, for example, is provided on theexterior of the IC package structure 30. A thermal compound 46 istypically interposed between the chip backside 35 and the outer packagestructure 44 to promote the dissipation of thermal energy from the flipchip 32. During reliability testing and functioning of the flip chip 32,heat which is generated by the flip chip 32 tends to cause thermalexpansion of the chip substrate 33 and carrier substrate 40 at differentexpansion rates. As will be hereinafter described, the stress-relievingstructures in the chip backside 35 relieve stress and increase thesurface area of contact between the chip substrate 33 and the thermalcompound 46, promoting dissipation of heat during testing andfunctioning of the flip chip 32. This helps prevent or reducedelamination of the adhesive material 38.

Referring next to FIG. 3, in one embodiment of the IC package structure30, the concave stress-relieving structures include multiple stressrelief openings 50 which are provided in the chip backside 35 a of theflip chip 32 a. The stress relief openings 50 may be arranged inmultiple rows 52 and intersecting columns 54, as shown in FIG. 3, or inany alternative pattern. The stress relief openings 50 may be formed inthe chip backside 35 a using etching or other techniques known by thoseskilled in the art. Preferably, each stress relief opening 50 has adepth of typically about 5˜50 μm. Accordingly, during reliabilitytesting and functioning of the flip chip 32 a, the stress reliefopenings 50 relieve expansion stresses caused by thermal expansion ofthe flip chip 32 a. Furthermore, the stress relief openings 50 presentan increased surface area of contact between the chip substrate 35 awith the thermal compound 46, thus facilitating the dissipation ofthermal energy from the flip chip 32 a. Therefore, the adhesive material38 is subjected to a reduced level of stress caused by different thermalexpansion rates of the flip chip 32 and the carrier substrate 40.Consequently, delamination of the adhesive material 38 is prevented orsubstantially reduced, and reliability of the flip chip 32 is enhanced.

Referring next to FIGS. 4 and 5, in another embodiment of the packagestructure 30, the concave stress-relieving structures include multiplestress relief slots 58 which are provided in the chip backside 35 b. Thestress relief slots 58 typically extend along the chip backside 35 b inparallel, spaced-apart relationship with respect to each other.

As shown in FIG. 5, each stress relief slot 58 has a slot depth 60 ofpreferably about 5˜50 μm.

Referring next to FIG. 6, in still another embodiment of the packagestructure 30, the concave stress-relieving structures include asymmetrical channel matrix 64 which is provided in the chip backside 35c of the chip substrate 33 b of the flip chip 35. The symmetricalchannel matrix 64 typically includes a continuous perimeter channel 66which extends adjacent to the edges of the chip substrate 33 b. Multiplelongitudinal channels 68 and intersecting transverse channels 70typically span the perimeter channel 66, forming islands 72. Each of theperimeter channel 66, longitudinal channels 68 and transverse channels70 of the symmetrical channel matrix 64 preferably has a depth oftypically about 5˜50 μm.

Referring next to FIG. 7, in yet another embodiment of the packagestructure 30, the concave stress-relieving structures include anasymmetrical channel matrix 76 which is provided in the chip backside 35d of the chip substrate 33 d. The asymmetrical channel matrix 76 isparticularly effective in relieving two-dimensional stresses along the xand y axes. The asymmetrical channel matrix 76 typically includesmultiple, parallel longitudinal channels 78 and multiple, paralleltransverse channels 80 which intersect the longitudinal channels 78. Animaginary middle axis 82 divides the chip backside 35 d into regions ofequal area. The transverse channels 80 are more numerous on one side ofthe middle axis 82 than on the opposite side of the middle axis 82. Eachof the longitudinal channels 78 and the transverse channels 80preferably has a depth of typically about 5˜50 μm.

While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been describedabove, it will be recognized and understood that modifications can bemade in the invention and the appended claims are intended to cover allsuch modifications which may fall within the spirit and scope of theinvention.

1. A chip packaging structure comprising: a flip chip having a chipbackside; at least one concave stress-relieving structure provided insaid chip backside; a carrier substrate bonded to said flip chip; and anadhesive material interposed between said flip chip and said carriersubstrate.
 2. The chip packaging structure of claim 1 wherein said atleast one concave stress-relieving structure comprises a plurality ofstress relief openings.
 3. The chip packaging structure of claim 2wherein said stress relief openings are arranged in a plurality ofintersecting rows and columns.
 4. The chip packaging structure of claim1 wherein said at least one concave stress-relieving structure comprisesa plurality of stress relief slots.
 5. The chip packaging structure ofclaim 4 wherein said stress relief slots are arranged in substantiallyparallel relationship to each other.
 6. The chip packaging structure ofclaim 1 wherein said at least one concave stress-relieving structurecomprises a symmetrical channel matrix.
 7. The chip packaging structureof claim 6 wherein said symmetrical channel matrix comprises a perimeterchannel, a plurality of longitudinal channels spanning said perimeterchannel, a plurality of transverse channels spanning said perimeterchannel and intersecting said plurality of longitudinal channels, and aplurality of islands defined between said longitudinal channels and saidtransverse channels.
 8. The chip packaging structure of claim 1 whereinsaid at least one concave stress-relieving structure comprises anasymmetrical channel matrix.
 9. The chip packaging structure of claim 8wherein said asymmetrical channel matrix comprises a plurality oflongitudinal channels and a plurality of transverse channelsintersecting said plurality of longitudinal channels, and wherein saidtransverse channels are more numerous on one side of a middle axisdividing said chip backside into substantially equal areas than on anopposite side of said middle axis.
 10. A chip packaging structurecomprising: a flip chip having a chip backside; a plurality of concavestress-relieving structures each having a depth of from about 5 μm toabout 50 μm provided in said chip backside; a carrier substrate bondedto said flip chip; and an adhesive material interposed between said flipchip and said carrier substrate.
 11. The chip packaging structure ofclaim 10 wherein said plurality of concave stress-relieving structurescomprises a plurality of stress relief openings arranged in a pluralityof intersecting rows and columns.
 12. The chip packaging structure ofclaim 10 wherein said plurality of concave stress-relieving structurescomprises a plurality of stress relief slots arranged in substantiallyparallel relationship to each other.
 13. The chip packaging structure ofclaim 10 wherein said plurality of concave stress-relieving structurescomprises a symmetrical channel matrix comprising a perimeter channel, aplurality of longitudinal channels spanning said perimeter channel, aplurality of transverse channels spanning said perimeter channel andintersecting said plurality of longitudinal channels, and a plurality ofislands defined between said longitudinal channels and said transversechannels.
 14. The chip packaging structure of claim 10 wherein saidplurality of concave stress-relieving structures comprises anasymmetrical channel matrix comprising a plurality of longitudinalchannels and a plurality of transverse channels intersecting saidplurality of longitudinal channels, and wherein said transverse channelsare more numerous on one side of a middle axis dividing said chipbackside into substantially equal areas than on an opposite side of saidmiddle axis.
 15. A method of reducing thermally-induced delaminationstresses between an integrated circuit flip chip and a carrier substratein an integrated circuit package structure, comprising: providing a flipchip having a chip backside; providing a plurality of concavestress-relieving structures in said chip backside of said flip chip;providing a carrier substrate; bonding said flip chip to said carriersubstrate; and providing an adhesive material between said flip chip andsaid carrier substrate.
 16. The method of claim 15 wherein saidproviding a plurality of concave stress-relieving structures in saidchip backside comprises providing a plurality of stress relief openingsin said chip backside in a plurality of intersecting rows and columns.17. The method of claim 15 wherein said providing a plurality of concavestress-relieving structures in said chip backside comprises providing aplurality of stress relief slots in said chip backside in substantiallyparallel relationship to each other.
 18. The method of claim 17 whereineach of said stress relief slots has a depth of from about 5 μm to about50 μm.
 19. The method of claim 15 wherein said providing a plurality ofconcave stress-relieving structures in said chip backside comprisesproviding a symmetrical channel matrix in said chip backside.
 20. Themethod of claim 15 wherein said providing a plurality of concavestress-relieving structures in said chip backside comprises providing anasymmetrical channel matrix in said chip backside.